Radio Free Asia

Stakeholders are concerned about the legitimacy of the multinational approval process for Laos’ Luangprabang hydropower project, after recommendations to lower the environmental impact were raised, but few were accepted during a meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) last week in Vientiane.The meeting was held ...

Authorities in Laos’ southwestern Champassak province have rescued four young Lao women and girls who were trafficked to China, while another group of four females from another part of the country remain missing, sources told RFA’s Lao Service recently.The teenagers and young women, now aged ...

The Xayaburi dam, the first of five planned large Mekong river mainstream dams in Laos, officially began operations Tuesday, setting in motion the first major cog in the country’s ambitious but controversial plan to become the “battery of Southeast Asia.”The dam, which began construction in ...

Villagers near Don Sahong Dam, a major dam on the Mekong River in Laos, have reported smaller fish catches as it nears completion.The dam, slated to conduct its final testing phase by early next month, will be operational by the end of the year.Don Sahong ...

A Chinese-owned firm drew fire from animal conservation activists when it brought in 10 elephants from the north of the country to entertain tourists in a special economic zone in the Lao capital Vientiane during Visit Laos-China Year 2019.The year-long promotional campaign officially encourages tourism ...

South Korea has been criticized for failing to protect children’s rights after a dam collapse in Laos caused dozens of deaths last year. The United Nations has advised the country to “closely look into” its overseas projects for possible violations of such rights.The United Nations ...

A coalition of NGOs called for the cancellation of a project to build what would be Laos’ fifth large Mekong river dam Tuesday, citing the disastrous effects that existing dams have had on the region’s ability to cope with environmental crises.The planned Luang Prabang Dam ...

An explosion Saturday caused by rock blasting for a Chinese cement plant in northern Laos tore through a village, killing at least one person and injuring more than 20 others, residents said.Houses and vehicles were also wrecked by the blast in Phonemany village, Nam Bak district, ...

Officials for the local government in Laos’ Houaphanh province say they want to cancel the survey contract of a Chinese coal company after learning that its operations in the province have caused hardship for villagers who have yet to see any compensation.The company reportedly damaged ...

Residents of seven villages in Laos’ Luang Namtha province are resisting a 7,000-hectare land concession granted to a Thai company that would force them to relocate.The villagers are also concerned that the proposed industrial zones that would be developed on the site by Thailand’s Amata ...